The Wolverine was leaked on the internet - and Fox fires Friedman for reviewing it. Maybe.

I can't wait until the wolverine hits the theaters as Hugh Jackman is OMG! so hawt and the film has a good helping of super heroes, bad guys and special effects just the way I like it. I can wait until the film is actually finished though, unlike some other people.

Since the leak hit the intarwebs, fan forums have been ablaze with chatter about the film but the crescendo was when Fox Hollywood columnist Roger Friedman posted a review of the not finished film. He's been fired for it, or maybe not, it depends on who you ask. Variety: "The whole sequence of events looks like a case of corporate synergy gone awry, as three different divisions of News Corp. couldn't even agree on the fate of Friedman."

Should he be fired? That too depends on who you ask. Ropeofsilicon tweeted: “I am confused as to how people can download Wolverine, review it and not be prosecuted as thieves. Am I missing something here?”. Ropeofsilicon also has a nice screendump of Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com review titled; “Wolverine’s Big Surprises: Some Revealed”.

So who leaked the film? chud.com thinks it was most likely the post houses that are behind the leak, while NY mag offers three equally nutty theories. I seriously doubt it's the post house though, I've never seen a film arrive as a complete copy of the workprint at a post house, only the scenes they're working on, some sound and picture references and possibly a bit of the script. Rising Sun Pictures Chairman and co-founder Tony Clark released a statement backing that up: "From the reports we've had, the stolen material is a work in progress version of the film with many incomplete sections. As we worked on individual sequences within the film, neither RSP or its staff members have ever been in possession of a full-length version, so it would have been impossible for the movie to have been leaked from here."

So, in the end, what did Friedman really think of the film? He loved it!

"Last night, a stolen, incomplete and early version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was posted illegally on a website. It was without many effects, had missing and unedited scenes and temporary sound and music. We immediately contacted the appropriate legal authorities and had it removed. We forensically mark our content so we can identify sources that make it available or download it. The source of the initial leak and any subsequent postings will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law – the courts have handed down significant criminal sentences for such acts in the past. The FBI and the MPAA also are actively investigating this crime. We are encouraged by the support of fansites condemning this illegal posting and pointing out that such theft undermines the enormous efforts of the filmmakers and actors, and above all, hurts the fans of the film."

...and honestly, could he not get a copy of the (finished) film long before the movie premiere date since it is the company he works for? No, I don't think it was the need to be first that was driving him, but I can't for the life of me understand what he was thinking when he turned in that review.